Emerging Practices to Elevate and Replicate Community Responder Programs Nationwide
Expanding First Response National Commission Report
With growing calls for changes in how jurisdictions approach public safety, community responder programs are becoming more prevalent throughout the country, and even across the globe, as alternative first responses to situations that do not require an armed officer. Yet minimal research exists on definitive best practices for communities to follow when implementing and sustaining these programs. Based on a first-of-its-kind national commission focused on community response, this report details some of the emerging practices that program leaders can use to elevate and replicate community responder programs nationwide. Photo courtesy of Olympia Crisis Response Team.
Mari Bayer, Melissa McKee, and Ashtan Towles | May 2024 | The Council of State Governments Justice Center